THE    PRAYER 


A    NAVAJO    SHAMAN. 


BY 


DR.   WASHINGTON    MATTHEWS, 


TJ.    S. 


FROM  THE  AMKRICAN  ANTHROPOLOGIST,  VOL.  I,  No.  2,  APRIL,  1888. 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C.  : 

JUDD  &  DETWEILEB,  F RENTERS. 

1888. 


// 


THE    PRAYER 


OF 


A    NAVAJO    SHAMAN 


BY 


DR.   WASHINGTON    MATTHEWS, 


TJ.    S. 


FROM  THE  AMERICAN  ANTHROPOLOGIST,  VOL.  I,  No.  2,  APRIL,  1888. 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C.  : 

JUDD  &  DETWEILER,  PRINTERS. 

1888. 


,v 


I 


/3  8 
Bancroft  Library 


Apr.  1888.]        THE   PRAYER   OF   A    NAVAJO   SHAMAN. 


THE  PRAYER  OF  A  NAVAJO  SHAMAN.* 

BY  DR.  WASHINGTON  MATTHEWS,  U.  S.  A.  ,  ARMY  MEDICAL  MUSEUM. 

The  literature  purporting  to  represent  the  native  devotional  ex 
pressions  of  our  North  American  aborigines  so  far  published  is  very 
meager,  and  much  of  this  scanty  material  is  of  doubtful  authenticity. 
For  these  reasons  I  offer  to  the  Society  for  its  consideration  the 
Prayer  of  a  Navajo  Shaman. 

It  is  a  composition  unique  in  form  and  bearing  internal  evidence 
of  purely  heathen  origin.  It  shows  no  trace  of  extemporaneousness. 
That  it  is  the  carefully  considered  ritual  composition  of  a  priest  well 
informed  in  the  knowledge  of  his  craft  —  a  priest  who,  in  the  lan 
guage  of  the  Scripture,  "sought  to  find  out  acceptable  words"  —I 
cannot  doubt.  I  have  only  the  word  of  my  informant,  who  is  now 
over  seventy  years  of  age,  for  its  antiquity.  He  learned  it  in  youth 
from  an  old  shaman,  who,  in.  turn,  had  it  transmitted  from  an  elder 
man.  It  is  not,  however,  of  sufficient  antiquity  to  contain  (except 
perhaps  in  one  word,  qonicqa'de)  obsolete  terms,  which  we  so  often 
encounter  in  the  prayers  and  hymns  of  Navajo  medicine-men. 
The  language  of  rogation  is  common  to  the  prayers  of  the  Navajos, 
as  it  is  to  the  prayers  of  all  other  peoples  ;  but  this  prayer,  it  will 
be  seen,  is  not  in  the  form  of  a  supplication.  It  is  a  narrative,  in 
which  the  present  tense  of  the  verb  is  used  from  the  beginning 
almost  to  the  end.  It  is  evidently  primarily  intended  to  coun 
teract  witchcraft.  My  informant  said  it  was  the  most  potent  prayer 
that  he  knew.  So  sacred  is  it  held  that  no  one  may  repeat  it,  or 
any  part  of  it,  twice  on  the  same  day,  nor  may  any  portion  of  it 
be  repeated  by  itself.  It  must  be  said  through  from  beginning  to 
end  without  stopping.  These  are  conditions  which  added  much  to 
the  labor  of  noting  the  prayer  and  obtaining  an  exact  translation. 

*  In  the  Navajo  words,  as  they  appear  in  this  paper,  the  vowels  have  the  Con 
tinental  sounds;  there  is  only  one  diphthong,  at;  '  denotes  an  aspirated  vowel  ; 
c-  has  the  sound  of  sh  in  shine  ;  d  before  a  vowel  has  the  sound  of  th  in  this  ; 
I  is  always  aspirated,  as  if  spelled  hi;  n  above  the  line  (n)  is  nasal;  q  has  the 
sound  of  German  ch  in  machen  ;  t  before  a  vowel  has  the  sound  of  th  in  thing  ; 
the  other  letters  have  the  ordinary  English  sounds. 


6  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  I. 

With  other  Navajo  prayers  in  my  collection  the  act  of  supplication 
is  preceded  by  the  offering  of  a  sacrifice,  and  in  the  prayer  the  god 
is  reminded  of  the  votive  offering  and  told  what  blessings  are  ex 
pected  in  return.  With  the  prayer  under  consideration,  no  reference 
is  made  to  a  previous  sacrifice  and,  as  far  as  I  could  learn,  none  pre 
cedes  it,  although  a  song  in  praise  of  the  war  god  is  sometimes  sung 
as  a  prelude. 

This  prayer  came  to  my  knowledge  almost  by  accident  and  per 
haps  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  the  supplicant.  I  first  heard  it  at 
Fort  Defiance,  Arizona, 'from  a  venerable  Navajo  shaman,  well  versed 
in  the  mythic  lore  of  his  race,  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  super 
stitions  of  the  savage  and  the  faith  of  the  uncontaminated  pagan. 
He  had  been  engaged  for  some  weeks  previously  in  recounting  myths, 
and  explaining  to  me  various  medicine  practices  which  I  had  wit 
nessed  in  the  lodges.  In  none  of  my  interviews  with  him  had  he 
shown  any  impatience  with  my  demands  for  explanations  as  we  pro 
gressed  or  with  interruptions  in  our  work.  He  lingered  long 
over  his  meals,  lighted  many  cigarettes  and  smoked  them  leis 
urely,  got  tired  early  in  the  evening,  and  was  always  willing  to 
go  to  bed  as  early  as  I  would  let  him.  When,  however,  he  came 
to  relate  the  creation  myth  all  this  was  changed.  He  arrived  early; 
he  remained  late;  he  hastened  through  his  meals;  he  showed  evi 
dence  of  worry  at  all  delays  and  interruptions,  and  frequently 
begged  me  to  postpone  minor  explanations.  On  being  urged  to 
explain  this  change  of  spirit  he  said  that  we  were  travelling  in  the 
land  of  the  dead,  in. a  place  of  evil  and  potent  ghosts,  just  so  long 
as  he  continued  to  relate  those  parts  of  the  myth  which  recount  the 
adventures  of  his  ancestors  in  the  nether  world,  and  that  we  were  in 
danger  as  long  as  our  minds  remained  there ;  but  that  when  we  came 
to  that  part  of  the  tale  where  the  people  ascend  to  this — the  fifth  and 
last  world — we  need  no  longer  feel  uneasy  and  could  then  take  our 
time.  His  subsequent  actions  proved  that  he  had  given  an  honest 
explanation. 

It  was  near  sunset  one  afternoon  and  an  hour  or  more  before  his 
supper  time  that  he  concluded  his  account  of  the  subterranean  wan 
derings  of  the  Navajos  and  brought  them  safely  through  the  Place  of 
Emergence,  in  the  San  Juan  mountains,  to  the  surface  of  this  world. 
Then  he  ceased  to  speak,  rolled  a  cigarette,  said  he  was  tired,  that 
he  would  not  be  able  to  tell  me  any  more  that  night,  and  left  me. 

After  his  departure  I  learned  that  he  had  announced  to  some  of 


Apr.  1888.]        THE    PRAYER    OF    A    NAVAJO   SHAMAN.  7 

his  friends  during  the  day  that  he  would  have  to  pray  at  night  to 
counteract  the  evil  effects  of  his  journey  through  the  lower  world. 
After  his  supper  he  retired  to  the  apartment  among  the  old  adobe  huts 
at  Defiance  in  which  he  had  been  assigned  room  to  sleep.  I  soon 
followed,  and,  having  waited  in  the  adjoining  passage  half  an  hour 
or  more,  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  old  man  rising  in  the  monotonous 
tones  of  formulated  prayer.  Knowing  that  the  rules  of  the  shaman 
forbade  the  interruption  of  any  prayer  or  song,  I  abruptly  entered 
the  room  and  sat  down  on  the  floor  near  the  supplicant.  He  was 
seated  tailor-fashion  in  front  of  the  hearth,  on  which  a  bright  fire 
blazed,  surrounded  by  two  or  three  Indian  listeners.  His  hands 
rested  on  his  knees;  his  head  was  bent  slightly  forward;  his  face 
wore  an  anxious  expression,  and  his  eyes  were  steadily  directed  on 
the  floor  at  a  point  about  two  yards  in  front  of  him.  He  did  not 
even  raise  his  eyes  when  I  entered  and  never  changed  his  position 
until  he  had  done.  Then  he  made  the  sign  for  complete  or  finished, 
and  entered  unconcernedly  into  conversation,  complimenting  him 
self  on  his  ability  to  say  a  prayer  well  and  make  no  mistakes.  I 
had  no  difficulty  in  inducing  him  to  repeat  the  prayer  for  me  after 
wards  on  several  occasions  under  the  conditions  mentioned. 

The  prayer  is  so  iterative  that,  long  as  it  is,  it  contains  only  about 
a  hundred  Navajo  words,  not  counting  incorporated  particles 
(which  are  defined  separately  in  the  appended  glossary).  For  this 
reason  it  was  not  considered  advisable  to  give  the  original  text  in  an 
interlinear  or  double-column  form.  It  was  thought  that  a  clear  un 
derstanding  of  the  composition  as  well  as  economy  of  space  could 
be  best  secured  by  the  following  method :  The  Navajo  form  is  placed 
immediately  after  the  translation  for  each  separate  paragraph ;  in 
most  cases  the  often-recurring  passages  of  the  original  are  printed 
but  once.  A  glossary  is  given,  by  consulting  which  the  student 
may  discover  what  liberties  have  been  taken  with  the  original  in  the 
endeavor  to  produce  a  smooth  and  intelligible  English  translation. 

THE    PRAYER   OF   THE    RENDITION    (QA-YA'-TYl). 

I.  From  the  summit  of  Jemez  mountain  Nagaynezgani  comes  for 
my  sake.  From  the  summit  of  San  Francisco  mountain  Thobaji- 
scheni  comes  for  my  sake. 

Tsisnadjini  bilatade  Nagenezgani  cikadeya.  Dokooslid  bilatade 
Tobajistcini  cikadeya. 


8  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  I. 

II.  On  this  side  thereof,  on  the  top  of  Black  mountain,  Nagay- 
nezgani  comes  for  my  sake.     On  this  side  thereof,  on  the  White 
ridges,  Thobajischeni  comes  for  my  sake. 

Gostcisde,  Dsil-Lijin  bakade  Nagenezgani  cikadeya.  Gostcisde, 
Lakai-Dinlade  Tobadjistcini  cikadeya. 

III.  Again  on  this  side   thereof,  on  the  summit  of  the   Carrizo 
mountains,  Nagaynezgani  comes  for  my  sake.     Again  on  this  side 
thereof,  on   the  summit  of  the  Carrizo  mountains,  Thobajischeni 
comes  for  my  sake. 

Adostcisde,  Dsilgi-Qojoni  bilatade  Nagenezgani  cikadeya.  Ados- 
tcisde,  Dsilgi-Qojoni  bilatade  Tobajistcini  cikadeya. 

IV.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  in  the  Place  of  Emergence,  Na 
gaynezgani  arrives  for  my  sake,     Again  on  this  side  thereof,  in  the 
Place  of  Emergence,  Thobajischeni  arrives  for  my  sake.     Although 
Smooth  Wind  guards  the  door,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand 
opens  the  way  for  me.     He  arrives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Tho 
bajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake 
he  arrives  with  him. 

Adostcisde,  Qadjinai  bitagi  Nagaynezgani  cikaniya.  Adostcisde, 
Qadjinai  bitagi  Tobadjistcini  cikaniya.  Niltci-Dilkohi  dadinlagi, 
Nagenezgani  bikic  dilyilgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Cikaniyago.  Bikede 
Tobajistcini  bikic  tolijgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Yecikaniyago. 

V.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  first  chamber,  made 
of  the  black  cloud,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the 
way  for  me.     He  arrives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni 
with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives 
with  him. 

Adostcisde,  kos  dilyilgo  la'adibe  daqonikade  binakade  Nagenezgani 
bikic  dilyilgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Cikaniyago.  Bikede  Tobadjistcini 
bikic  dolijgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Yecikaniyago. 

VI.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  second  chamber, 
made  of  the  blue  cloud,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.     He  arrives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobaji 
scheni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he 
arrives  with  him. 

Adostcisde,  kos  tolijgo  nakidibe  daqonikade  binakade.  (The 
rest  as  in  V,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 


Apr.  1888.]        THE  PRAYER   OF    A   NAVAJO   SHAMAN.  9 

VII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  third  chamber,  made 
of  the  yellow  cloud,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the 
way  for  me.     He  arrives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni 
with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives 
with  him. 

Adostcisde,  kos  litsogo  tqagidibe  daqonikade  binakade.     (The 
rest  as  in  V,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

VIII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  fourth  chamber, 
made  of  the  white  cloud,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.     He  arrives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobaji 
scheni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he 
arrives  with  him. 

Adostcisde,  kos  lakaigo  tindibe  daqonikade  binakade.     (The  rest 
as  in  V,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

IX.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  first  chamber,  made 
of  the  black  mist,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way 
for  me.     He  arrives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with 
his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives  with 
him. 

Adostcisde,  a'dilyilgo  la'adibe  daqonikade  binakade.     (The  rest 
as  in  V,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

X.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  second  chamber,  made 
of  the  blue  mist,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way 
for  me.     He  arrives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with 
his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives  with 
him. 

Adostcisde,  a'tolijgo  nakidibe  daqonikade  binakade.     (The  rest 
as  in  V,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani. ) 

XI.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  third  chamber,  made 
of  the  yellow  mist,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way 
for  me.     He  arrives  for  my  sake.      Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with 
his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.      For  my  sake  he  arrives  with 
him. 

Adostcisde,  a' litsogo  tqagidibe  daqonikade  binakade.     (The  rest 
as  in  V,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  fourth  chamber,  made 
of  the  white  mist,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way 


10  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  ]. 

for  me.  He  arrives  for  my  sake.  Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with 
his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  For  my  sake  he  arrives  with 
him. 

Adostcisde,  a'lakaigo  tindibe  daqonikade  binakade.  (The  rest  as 
in  V,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XIII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  Red  Rivers  Cross 
ing  One  Another,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way 
for  me.     He  arrives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with 
his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives  with 
him. 

Adostcisde,  Tolitci  Alnaosglinde  binakade.  (The  rest  as  in  V, 
beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XIV.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  first  chamber,  made 
of  the  black  mountain,  although  Red  Bear  guards  the  door,  Nagay 
nezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  arrives  for 
my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the 
way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives  with  him. 

Adostcisde,  dsil  dilyilgo  la'adibe  daqonikade  binakade,  Cac-Lit- 
cigo  dadinlagi.  (The  rest  as  in  V,  beginning  with  the  word  Na 
genezgani.) 

XV.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  second  chamber,  made 
of  the  blue  mountain,  although  Great  Red  Serpent  guards  the  door, 
Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  ar 
rives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand 
opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives  with  him. 

Adostcisde,  dsil  tolijgo  nakidibe  daqonikade  binakade,  Lictso- 
Litcigo  dadinlagi.  (The  rest  as  in  V,  beginning  With  the  word 
Nagenezgani.) 

XVI.  Again  on   this  side  thereof,  through  the  third  chamber, 
made  of  the  yellow  mountain,  although  Red  Coyote  guards  the 
door,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me. 
He  arrives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue 
wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives  with  him. 

Adostcisde,  dsil  litsogo  tqagidibe  daqonikade  binakade,  Mai-Lit- 
cigo  dadinlagi.  (The  rest  as  in  V,  beginning  with  the  word  Na 
genezgani.) 

XVII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the   fourth  chamber, 
made  of  the  white  mountain,  although  Red  Hawk  guards  the  door, 


Apr.  1888.]        THE    PRAYER    OF    A    NAVAJO    SHAMAN.  11 

Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He 
arrives  for  my  sake.  Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand 
opens  the  way  for  me.  For  my  sake  he  arrives  with  him. 

Adostcisde,  dsil  lakaigo  tindibe  daqonikade  binakade  Tsandildjehe- 
Litcigo  dadinlagi.  (The  rest  as  in  V,  beginning  with  the  word 
Nagenezgani.) 

XVIII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  in  the  entry  of  the  red-floored 
lodge,  the  house  of  Woman  Chieftain,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black 
wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  arrives  for  my  sake.    Behind  him 
Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my 
sake  he  arrives  with  him. 

Adostcisde,  qoganya-qotci,  Estsan-natan  bagan  tcetingi.  (The  rest 
as  in  V,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XIX.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  at  the  edge  of  the  lodge,  Na 
gaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  arrives 
for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives  with  him. 

Adostcisde,  qogan  bahastlade.  (The  rest  as  in  V,  beginning  with 
the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XX.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  beside  the  fire-place  of  the  lodge, 
Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  ar 
rives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him.  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand 
opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives  with  him. 

Adostcisde,  qogan  qonicqa'de.  (The  rest  as  in  V,  beginning  with 
the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXI.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  in  the  middle  of  the  lodge, 
Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  ar 
rives  for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand 
opens  the  way  for  me.     For  my  sake  he  arrives  with  him. 

Adostcide,  qoganya  qalnigi.  (The  rest  as  in  V,  beginning  with 
the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  in  the  back  of  the  lodge,  Na 
gaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  arrives 
for  my  sake.     Behind  him  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me  to  where  my  feet  are  lying,  to  where  my  limbs  are 
lying,  to  where  my  body  is  lying,  to  where  my  mind  is  lying,  to 


12  THE   AMERICAN   ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  I. 

where  the  dust  of  my  feet  is  lying,  to  where  my  saliva  is  lying,  to 
where  my  hair  is  lying. 

Adostcisde,  qogan  tsetlagi,  Nagenezgani  bikic  dilyilgo  yecadaa- 
naiyeglago.  Cikaniyago.  Bikede  Tobadjistcini  bikic  tolijgo  yeca- 
daanaiyeglago,  cike  silagi,  citcat  silagi,  citses  silagi,  cini'silagi,  ci- 
hetcin  silagi,  cije  silagi,  citsiga  silagi. 

XXIII.  Nagaynezgani  places  his  great  stone  knife  and  his  talking 
kethawn  (ketan-yaltigo)  in  my  hand ;  with  them  he  turns  me  around 
as  the  sun  moves  until  I  face  him.     ''Woman  Chieftain  !  my  grand 
son  is  now  restored  to  me.     Seek  not  to  find  him.     Say  not  a  word. 
Now  we  start  back  with  my  grandson.     He  is  restored  to  me." 

Nagenezgani  pecdolgas  ketan-yaltigo  da'cabikego  cilagi  yilago 
yeitcinasisyizgo.  "testsan-Natan!  kat  citsoi  cinasle.  Tobikeqadil- 
galda.  Toqadidsi'da.  Kat  citsoi  biltaqandictaj.  Cinasle." 

XXIV.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  in  the  middle  of  the  lodge, 
Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  goes 
out  returning  before  me.     I  go  out  returning  behind  him.     Behind 
me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He 
goes  out  returning  behind  me.     They  go  out  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  qoganya  qalnigi  Nagenezgani  bikic  dilyilgo  yecadaa- 
naiyeglago.  Citsidje  ni'yenatsago.  Bikede  ni'yenistsaga.  Cikede 
Tobajistcini  bikic  tolijgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Cikede  ni'yenatsago. 
Cilni'yenataj. 

XXV.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  at  the  edge  of  the  lodge,  Na 
gaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  goes  out 
returning  before  me.     I  go  out  returning  behind  him.     Behind  me 
Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  goes 
out  returning  behind  me.     They  go  out  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  qogan  bahastlade.  (The  rest  as  in  XXIV,  beginning 
with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXVI.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  entry  of  the  lodge, 
Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  goes 
out  returning  before  me.     I  go  out  returning  behind  him.     Behind 
me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He 
goes  out  returning  behind  me.     They  go  out  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  qogan  tcetinde.  (The  rest  as  in  XXIV,  beginning  with 
the  word  Nagenezgani.) 


Apr.  1888.]        THE   PRAYER   OF    A    NAVAJO   SHAMAN.  13 

XXVII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  first   chamber 
made  of  the  white  mountain,  although  Red  Hawk  guards  the  door, 
Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  is 
returning  before  me.     I  am  returning  behind  him.     Behind  me 
Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  is 
returning  behind  me.     They  are  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  dsil  lakaigo  la'adibe  daqonikade  binakade,Tsandildjehe 
Litcigo  dadinlagi,  Nagenezgani  bikic  dilyilgo  yecadaanaiyeglago. 
Citsidje  tsenatsago.  Bikede  tsenistsago.  Cikede  Tobajistcini  bikic 
tolijgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Cikede  tsenatsago.  Ciltsenataj. 

XXVIII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  second  chamber, 
made  of  the  yellow  mountain,  although  Red  Coyote  guards  the  door, 
Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  is 
returning  before  me.     I  am  returning  behind  him.      Behind   me 
Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way 'for  me.       He  is 
returning  behind  me.     They  are  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  dsil  litsogo  nakidibe  daqonikade  binakade,  Mai-Lit- 
cigo  dadinlagi.  (The  rest  as  in  XXVII,  beginning  with  the  word 
Nagenezgani.) 

XXIX.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  third  chamber, 
made  of  the  blue  mountain,  although  Great  Red  Serpent  guards  the 
door,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me. 
He  is  returning  before  me.     I  am  returning  behind  him.   •  Behind 
me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  is 
returning  behind  me.     They  are  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  dsil  tolijgo  tqagidibe  daqonikade  binakade,.  Lictso- 
Litcigo  dadinlagi.  (The  rest  as  in  XXVII,  beginning  with  the 
word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXX.  Again  on  this  side  .thereof,  through  the  fourth  chamber, 
made  of  the  black  mountain,  although  Red  Bear  guards  the  door, 
Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  is 
returning  before  me.     I  am   returning  behind  him.      Behind   me 
Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  is  re 
turning  behind  me.     They  are  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  dsil  dilyilgo  tindibe  daqonikade  binakade,  Cac-Lit- 
cigo  dadinlagi.  (The  rest  as  in  XXVII,  beginning  with  the  word 
Nagenezgani.) 


14  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  I. 

XXXI.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  Red  Rivers  Cross 
ing  One  Another,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way 
for  me.     He  is  returning  before  me.     I  am  returning  behind  him. 
Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me. 
He  is  returning  behind  me.     They  are  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  Tolitci  AlnaosgliMe  binakade.  (The  rest  as  in  XXVII, 
beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXXII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  first  chamber, 
made  of  the  white  mist,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  before  me.     I  climb  up 
returning   behind   him.     Behind   me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue 
wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  behind  me. 
They  climb  up  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  a'lakaigo  la'adibe  daqonikade  binakade  Nagenezgani 
bikic  dilyilgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Citsidje  qanastsago.  Bikede  qasist- 
sago.  Cikede  Tobajistcini  bikic  tolijgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Ci- 
kede  qanastsago.  Cilqanastaj. 

XXXIII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  second  chamber, 
made  of  the  yellow  mist,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  before  me.     I  climb  up 
returning  behind  him.     Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue 
wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  behind  me. 
They  climb  up  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  a'litsogo  nakidibe  daqonikade.  (The  rest  as  in 
XXXII,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXXIV.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  third  chamber, 
made  of  the  blue  mist,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the 
way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  before  me.     I  climb  up  re 
turning  .behind  him.     Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand 
opens  the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  behind  me.     They 
climb  up  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  a' tolijgo  tqagidibe  daqonikade  binakade.  (The  rest 
as  in  XXXII,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXXV.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  fourth  chamber, 
made  of  the  black  mist,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  before  me.     I  climb  up 
returning  behind  him.     Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand 


Apr.  1888.]        THE   PRAYER   OF    A    NAVAJO    SHAMAN.  15 

opens  the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  behind  me.     They 
climb  up  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  a'dilyilgo  tindibe  daqonikade  binakade.     (The  rest 
as  in  XXXII,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXXVI.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  first  chamber, 
made  of  the  white  cloud,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  before  me.     I  climb  up 
returning,  behind   him.     Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with   his  blue 
wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  behind  me. 
They  climb  up  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  kos  lakaigo  la'adibe   daqonikade.     (The  rest  as  in 
XXXII,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXXVII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  second  chamber, 
made  of  the  yellow  cloud,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  before  me.     I  climb  up 
returning  behind  him.     Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue 
wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  behind  me. 
They  climb  up  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  kos  litsogo  nakidibe  daqonikade.     (The  rest  as  in 
XXXII,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXXVIII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  third  chamber, 
made  of  the  blue  cloud,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens 
the  way  for  fhe.     He  climbs  up  returning  before  me.     I  climb  up 
returning  behind   him.     Behind   me  Thobajischeni  with   his  blue 
wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  behind  me. 
They  climb  up  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  kos  tolijgo  tqagidibe  daqonikade.      (The  rest  as  in 
XXXII,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XXXIX.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  fourth  chamber, 
made  of  the  black  cloud,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  before  me.     I  climb  up 
returning  behind  him.      Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with   his  blue 
wand  opens  the  way  for  me.     He  climbs  up  returning  behind  me. 
They  climb  up  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  kos  dilyilgo   tindibe  daqonikade.      (The   rest  as   in 
XXXII,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 


16  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  I. 

XL.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  Place  of  Emergence, 
although  Smooth  Wind  guards  the  door,  Nagaynezgani  with  his 
black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He  climbs  up  returning  before 
me.  I  climb  up  returning  behind  him.  Behind  me  Thobajischeni 
with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He  climbs  up  returning 
behind  me.  They  climb  up  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  Qadjinaide  Niltci-Dilkohi  dadinlagi.  (The  rest  as 
in  XXXII,  beginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XLI.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  at  the  place  called  Coyote  Race- 
Course,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me. 
He  goes  out  returning  before  me.  I  go  out  returning  behind  him. 
Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me. 
He  goes  out  returning  behind  me.  They  go  out  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  Mai-Algacitaj  qolgede.  (The  rest  as  in  XXIV,  be 
ginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XLIL  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  at  the  place  called  Two  Hang 
ing  Gourds,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for 
me.  He  goes  out  returning  before  me.  I  go  out  returning  behind 
him.  Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way 
for  me.  He  goes  out  returning  behind  me.  They  go  out  returning 
with  me. 

Adostcisde,  Ata-Dasila  qolgede.  (The  rest  as  in  XXIV,  begin 
ning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XLIII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  at  the  place  called  Brown 
Pinnacle,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for  me. 
He  goes  out  returning  before  me.  I  go  out  returning  behind  him. 
Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me. 
He  goes  out  returning  behind  me.  They  go  out  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  Lapa-Deza'  qolgede.  (The  rest  as  in  XXIV,  begin 
ning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 

XLIV.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  at  the  place  called  Breeze 
Under  a  Tree,  Nagaynezgani  with  his  black  wand  opens  the  way  for 
me.  He  goes  out  returning  before  me.  I  go  out  returning  behind 
him.  Behind  me  Thobajischeni  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way 
for  me.  He  goes  out  returning  behind  me.  They  go  out  returning 
with  me. 

Adostcisde,  Tsinya-Doyol  qolgede.  (The  rest  as  in  XXIV,  be 
ginning  with  the  word  Nagenezgani.) 


Apr.  1888.]        THE    PRAYER    OF    A    NAVAJO    SHAMAN.  17 

XLV.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  at  a  place  where  I  see  the  di 
rection  in  which  my  lodge  lies,  Haschayalthi  with  his  white  wand 
opens  the  way  for  me.  He  goes  out  returning  before  me.  I  go  out 
returning  behind  him.  Behind  me  Haschayhogan  with  his  blue 
wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He  goes  out  returning  behind  me. 
They  go  out  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  cagan  bitciqaistinde  Qastceyalti  bikic  lakaigo  yeca- 
daanaiyeglago.  Citsidje  ni'yenatsago.  Bikede  ni'yenistsago.  Ci- 
kede  Qastceqogan  bikic  tolijgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Cikede  ni' 
yenatsago.  Cilni'yenataj. 

XLVI.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  among  the  many  trails  that 
lead  towards  my  lodge,  Haschayalthi  with  his  white  wand  opens  the 
way  for  me.  He  goes  out  returning  before  me.  I  go  out  returning 
behind  him.  Behind  me  Haschayhogan  with  his  blue  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.  He  goes  out  returning  behind  me.  They  go  out 
returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  cagan  bitcidaintinde.  (The  rest  as  in  XLV,  begin 
ning  with  the  word  Qastceyalti.) 

XLVII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  in  the  middle  of  my  broad 
field,  beautified  with  the  white  corn,  beautified  with  the  yellow  corn, 
beautified  with  the  round  corn,  beautified  with  all  kinds  of  corn, 
beautified  with  the  pollen  of  the  corn,  beautified  with  grasshop 
pers,  Haschayalthi  with  his  white  wand  opens  the  way  for  me. 
He  returns  upon  it  before  me.  I  return  upon  it  behind  him.  Be 
hind  me  Haschayhogan  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me. 
He  returns  upon  it  behind  me.  They  return  upon  it  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  cita'ke  qotyel  alnigi,  nata  alkai  beqaqojogi,  natalitsoi 
beqaqojogi,  nata  ditcol  beqaqojogi,  nata  altqasai  beqaqojogi,  tqadi- 
tin  beqaqojogi,  aniltani  beqaqojogi,  Qastceyalti  bikic  lakaigo  yeca 
daanaiyeglago.  Citsidje  yikinaitsago.  Bikede  yikinaistsago.  Cikede 
Qastceqogan  bikic  tolijgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Cikede  yikinaitsago. 
Cilyikinaitaj. 

XLVIII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  in  the  entry  of  my  lodge, 
made  of  the  daylight,  Haschayalthi  with  his  white  wand  opens  the 
way  for  me.  He  goes  in  returning  before  me.  I  go  in  returning 
behind  him.  Behind  me  Haschayhogan  with  his  blue  wand  opens 
the  way  for  me.  He  goes  in  returning  behind  me.  They  go  in  re 
turning  with  me. 

3 


18  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  I. 

Adostcisde,  yayolkalbe  ciqogan,  qogan-tcetingi,  Qastceyalti,  bikic 
lakaigo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Citsidje  yahanatsago.  Bikede  yahanast- 
sago.  Cikede  Qastceqogan  bikic  tolijgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Cikede 
yahanatsago.  Cilyahanataj. 

XLIX.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  at  the  edge  of  my  lodge,  Ha- 
schayalthi  with  his  white  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He  goes  in 
returning  before  me.  I  go  in  returning  behind  him.  Behind  me 
Haschayhogan  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He  goes 
in  returning  behind  me.  They  go  in  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  cagan  bahastlade.  (The  rest  as  in  XL VIII,  beginning 
with  the  word  Qastceyalti.) 

L.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  beside  the  fire-place  of  my  lodge, 
Haschayalthi  with  his  white  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He  goes 
in  returning  before  me.  I  go  in  returning  behind  him.  Behind 
me  Haschayhogan  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He 
goes  in  returning  behind  me.  They  go  in  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  cagan  qonicqa'de.  (The  rest  as  in  XLVIII,  begin 
ning  with  the  word  Qastceyalti.) 

LI.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  through  the  middle  of  my  lodge, 
Haschayalthi  with  his  white  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He  goes 
in  returning  before  me.  I  go  in  returning  behind  him.  Behind  me 
Haschayhogan  with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He  goes 
in  returning  behind  me.  They  go  in  returning  with  me. 

Adostcisde,  cagan ya  qalnigi.  (The  rest  as  in  XLVIII,  beginning 
with  the  word  Qastceyalti.) 

LII.  Again  on  this  side  thereof,  toward  the  back  of  my  lodge, 
Haschayalthi  with  his  white  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He  sits 
down  before  me.  I  sit  down  after  him.  Behind  me  Haschayhogan 
with  his  blue  wand  opens  the  way  for  me.  He  sits  down  after  me. 
They  sit  down  with  me  on  the  floor  of  my  lodge,  where  my  feet  are 
lying,  where  my  limbs  are  lying,  where  my  body  is  lying,  where  my 
mind  is  lying,  where  the  dust  of  my  feet  is  lying,  where  my  saliva  is 
lying,  where  my  hair  is  lying. 

Adostcisde,  cagan  tsetladje,  Qastceyalti  bikic  lakaigo  yecadaa 
naiyeglago.  Citsidje  nanastago.  Bikede  nanictago.  Cikede  Qastce 
qogan  bikic  tolijgo  yecadaanaiyeglago.  Cikede  nanastago.  Cilni- 
denespin  cagan  intse'tagi,  cike  silagi,  citcat  silagi,  citses  silagi,  cini' 
silagi,  cihetcin  silagi,  cije  silagi,  ci-tsiga  silagi. 


Apr.  1888.]         THE    PRAYER    OF    A    NAVAJO    SHAMAN.  19 

LIII.  To  my  feet  I  have  returned,  to  my  limbs  I  have  returned, 
to  my  body  I  have  returned,  to  my  mind  I  have  returned,  to  the 
dust  of  my  feet  I  have  returned,  to  my  saliva  I  have  returned,  to  my 
hair  I  have  returned. 

Cike  bananistsa,  citcat  bananistsa,  citses  bananistsa,  cini'  banan- 
istsa,  cihetcin  bananistsa,  cije  bananistsa,  citsiga  bananistsa. 

LIV.  My  feet  are  restored  to  me,  my  limbs  are  restored  to  me, 
my  body  is  restored  to  me,  my  mind  is  restored  to  me,  the  dust  of 
my  feet  is  restored  to  me,  my  saliva  is  restored  to  me,  my  hair  is 
restored  to  me. 

Cike  cinasle,  citcat  cinasle,  citses  cinasle,  cini'  cinasle,  cihetcin 
cinasle,  cije  cinasle,  citsiga  cinasle. 

LV.  The  World  before  me  is  restored  in  beauty, 
The  World  behind  me  is  restored  in  beauty, 
The  World  below  me  is  restored  in  beauty, 
The  World  above  me  is  restored  in  beauty, 
All  things  around  me  are  restored  in  beauty, 
My  voice  is  restored  in  beauty, 
It  is  restored  in  beauty, 
It  is  restored  in  beauty,  Bancroft 

It  is  restored  in  beauty, 
It  is  restored  in  beauty. 

Citsidje  qojoni  qasle,  Cikede  qojoni  qasle, 
Ciyagi  qojoni  qasle,  Cikigi  qojoni  qasle, 
Cinagi  daltso  qojoni  qasle,  Cijat  qojoni  qasle, 
Qojoni  qasle,  Qojoni  qasle, 
Qojoni  qasle,  Qojoni  qasle. 

The  argument  of  the  prayer  is  this : 

The  suppliant  is  supposed,  through  the  influence  of  witchcraft,  ex 
ercised  either  in  this  world  or  in  the  lower  world  when  in  spirit 
he  was  travelling  there,  to  have  lost  his  body  or  parts  thereof — not 
his  visible  body,  nor  yet  his  soul,  his  breath  of  life — for  both  of  these 
he  knows  himself  to  be  still  in  possession  of,  but  a  sort  of  spiritual 
body  which  he  thinks  constitutes  a  part  of  him — the  astral  body 
perhaps  of  our  theosophic  friends.  This  third  element  of  man  be 
longs  not  only  to  his  living  person,  but  to  things  which  pertain  to  it, 
such  as  his  ejected  saliva,  his  fallen  hair,  the  dust  of  his  feet,  etc. 
If  the  witch  can  come  into  possession  of  such  things,  she  can  work 
her  evil  spells  through  them  on  the  living  person. 


20  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  I. 

To  restore  to  him  this  lost  element,  which  is  now  thought  to  be  in 
the  possession  of  the  goddess  of  witchcraft  in  the  lower  world,  the 
principal  war-gods  of  the  Navajo  Pantheon  come  to  the  sufferer's 
aid.  These  are  Nagaynezgani,  or  "  Slayer  of  the  Alien  Gods,"  and 
Thobajischeni,  or  "Kinsman  of  the  Waters."  The  one  approaches 
him  from  the  mountain  which  limits  the  Navajo  country  on  the  east, 
the  other  from  the  mountain  which  bounds  it  on  the  west.  They 
meet  at  the  Carrizo  Mountains,  in  the  centre  of  the  Navajo  country, 
and  proceed  thence  to  the  place  in  the  San  Juan  Mountains  where, 
as  their  traditions  state,  the  first  of  the  human  race  came  up  from  the 
lower  world  to  this.  Here  the  war-gods  descend  into  the  lower 
world,  passing  through  a  number  of  fabled  places  and  by  a  number  of 
direful  sentinels,  until  they  reach  the  house  of  the  Woman-Chief 
tain,  the  goddess  of  witches.  They  pass  by  virtue  of  the  power  of 
their  magic  wands.  Here  they  secure  the  bewitched  element  and 
take  it  away  from  the  goddess  in  triumph.  Up  to  this  time  only 
the  two  war-gods  are  named  as  journeying  through  the  lower  regions, 
but  thereafter  the  supplicant  speaks  of  his  reunited  self  returning 
accompanied  by  the  two  gods,  one  of  whom  walks  before  and  the 
other  behind,  to  guard  him  from  further  dangers.  They  retrace 
their  way  through  the  land  of  shades  exactly  as  they  went,  and  in 
describing  the  return  the  prayer  carefully  reiterates  the  names  of 
all  the  places  traversed  in  the  advancing  journey,  but  in  an  exact 
inverse  order.  Arriving  at  the  upper  world,  the  war-gods  continue 
to  guard  him  until  he  gets  to  the  neighborhood  of  his  home.  Here 
he  is  supposed  to  be  out  of  imminent  danger,  so  the  war- gods  leave 
him  and  certain  peaceful  gods,  Haschayalthi  and  Haschayhogan 
become  his  guides.  These  gods  bring  the  spiritual  or  astral  man 
to  the  home  of  the  corporeal  man,  where  the  two  elements  are 
happily  united,  and  in  the  language  of  the  prayer  all  "is  restored 
in  beauty." 

Descriptions  of  the  gods  Nagaynezgani,  Thobajischeni,  and 
Haschayalthi,  portions  of  the  myths  where  the  Place  of  Emergence 
and  the  sacred  mountains  are  spoken  of,  and  the  discussion  of  many 
other  matters  referred  to  in  the  prayer  may  be  found  in  the  following 
papers  by  the  author  :  (i)  "A  part  of  the  Navajos'  Mythology," 
American  Antiquarian,  April,  1883.  (2)  "  Mythic  Dry-Paintings  of 
the  Navajos,"  American  Naturalist,  October,  1885.  (3)  "Some 
Deities  and  Demons  of  the  Navajos,"  American  Naturalist,  Octo 
ber,  1886.  (4)  "The  Mountain  Chant :  A  Navajo  Ceremony,"  Fifth 


Apr.  1888.]        THE   PRAYER   OF    A    NAVAJO   SHAMAN.  21 

Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  (in  press).  To  these  the 
student  who  desires  further  information  is  referred. 

From  my  paper  on  the  "  Mythic  Dry-Paintings  of  the  Navajos' ': 
the  following  is  quoted,  as  indicating  why  the  various  chambers 
through  which  the  wanderers  pass,  are  spoken  of  as  colored  :  "  Here 
is  a  proper  occasion  to  speak  of  Navajo  symbolism  in  color.  In  all 
cases,  as  far  as  I  could  learn,  the  south  is  represented  by  blue,  the 
west  by  yellow.  Usually  the  east  is  represented  by  white  and 
the  north  by  black;  but  sometimes  these  colors  are  interchanged, 
and  the  north  becomes  white,  while  the  east  is  black."  In  this 
prayer  we  have  one  instance  of  this  change;  here  the  north  is  white 
and  the  east  black.  This  is  not  formally  stated  in  the  prayer ; 
but  it  is  evident  from  the  order  in  which  the  points  of  the  compass 
(symbolized  by  the  colors)  are  named.  In  all  Navajo  rites,  songs, 
and  prayers  the  east  is  recognized  as  first  and  the  north  as  last. 

In  stanza  LV  the  first  eight  sentences  (with  slight  variations,  usually 
in  the  tense  or  mode  of  the  verb  only)  appear  in  many  Navajo  pray 
ers.  The  last  sentence,  four  times  repeated,  "It  is  restored  in 
beauty,"  closely  analogous  to  the  Christian  Amen,  ends  all  formu 
lated  prayers  that  I  have  yet  heard.  For  this  reason  they  are  printed 
in  poetic  form. 


GLOSSARY. 

a' :   fog,  mist. 

a-dos-tcis-de' :   again  from  this  side  thereof — see  gos-tcis-de. 
al-ga-ci-taj':   two  constantly  racing  together, 
al-kai':   same  as  la-kai',  q.  v. 
al-ni'-gi,  or  el-ni'-gi :   in  the  middle  of. 
I'd-a-nil-ta'-ni:   grasshopper,  grasshoppers. 

A-ta'  Da-si-la":   Two  Hanging  Gourds  (lit.  gourd,  on  high  two  lie;), 
the  name  of  a  locality  in  or  near  the  San  Juan  Mountains. 

ba-gan':   her  house — see  qo-gan. 

ba-has-tla'-de :   at  the  edge  of  the  lodge,  inside;  where  the  roof  of 

the  Navajo  hut  meets  the  ground, 
ba-ka'-de:   from  or  at  its  top. 
ba-na-nis-tsa' :   I  have  returned  to  it  or  to  them, 
be:   a  particle  either  prefixed   or  suffixed,  signifying    "made  of," 

"made  by  means  of,"  etc. 


22  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  I. 

be-qa-qo-jo'-gi :   made  terrestrially  beautiful  by  means  of  (in  it). 

bi-ke'-de :   behind  him. 

bi-kic':   his  wand. 

bi-la-ta'-de :   from  its  pointed  summit,  from  its  peak. 

bil-ta-qan-dic-taj' :   with  him,  two  together,  we  start  back,  or  begin 

to  return. 

bi-na-ka'-de :   through  it  toward  me. 
bi-ta'-gi  or  bi-tqa'-gi :   within  it. 

bi-tci/-da-in-tin'-de :   among  the  trails  that  lead  everywhere  toward  it. 
bi-tci/-qa-is-tin/-de :   from  a  place  where  I  can  see  in  its  direction. 

ca:   forme. 

cac :  a  bear. 

ci,  c,  s,  or  si :   I,  my,  sometimes  to  be  translated  me. 

ci-he'-tcin :   the  dust  of  my  feet. 

ci-je':   my  saliva. 

ci-ka:   for  my  sake. 

ci-ka-de'-ya :   he  comes  or  approaches  for  my  sake. 

ci-ka-ni'-ya:   he  arrives  for  my  sake. 

ci-ke':   my  foot,  my  feet. 

ci-ke'-de :  behind  me. 

ci-ki'-gi :   above  me,  my  above. 

cil:  with  me. 

ci-la'-gi :   in  my  hand. 

cil-ni"-de-nes-pin :   they  sit  down  with  me. 

cil-ni"-ye-na-taj':  with  me  they  go  ou-t,  returning,   two  together. 

cil-qa'-nac-taj' :   with  me,  they  go  up,  returning,  two  together. 

cil-tse'-na-taj':   with  me  they  go  through,  returning,  two  together. 

cil-yi'-ki-na-i-taj':   with  me  they  go  on  it,  returning,  two  together. 

ci-na'-gi:  around  me. 

ci-nas-le':   restored  to  me. 

ci-ni":   my  mind. 

ci-qo-gan' :   my  hut,  my  lodge. 

ci-ta'-ke:   my  garden,  my  field. 

ci-tcat' :   my  leg,  my  legs. 

ci-tses':   my  body,  my  trunk. 

ci-tsi'-dje :  before  me. 

ci-tsi'-ga :   my  hair. 

ci-tso'-i:   my  grandson. 

ci-ya'-gi:   beneath  me. 

ci-zat' :   my  words,  my  voice. 


Apr.  1888.]         THE    PRAYER    OF    A    NAVAJO    SHAMAN.  23 

da'-ca-bi-ke'-go :  a  figurative  equivalent  for  "as  the  sun  moves;" 
according  to  the  solar  course. 

dal'-tso:   all,  everything. 

da-qo-ni-ka'-de  :  from  or  through  the  chamber  or  apartment.  Da- 
qonika:  a  room  or  story  in  a  pueblo  dwelling. 

de:  a  particle  which  may  be  translated  from,  at,  in,  etc.;  it  implies 
motion  toward  the  speaker  or  person  spoken  of,  and  is  gener 
ally  suffixed. 

dil-yil',  dil-yil'-go :  black. 

di-tcol':   round,  globular. 

Do-ko-os-lid' :  San  Francisco  Mountain,  a  high  peak  in  Northern 
Arizona,  considered  by  the  Navajos  as  bounding  their  country 
on  the  west.  A  sacred  place.  See  Fig.  i,  p.  148. 

dsil:   mountain,  mountains. 

Dsil'-gi-Qo-jo'-ni  or  Dsil'-yi-Qo-jo'-ni :  lit.  Beautiful  (terrestrially) 
in  the  Mountains;  the  Carrizo  Mountains  in  Northwestern  New 
Mexico,  or  a  locality  in  these  mountains. 

Dsil-Li-jin':   lit.  Black  Mountain,  a  place  in  the  Navajo  country. 

Es-tsan'-Na-tan/:  lit.  Woman-Chief,  the  Navajo  goddess  of  witches 
and  of  disease. 

gi  or  yi :  a  suffix  usually  to  be  translated  by  the  English  preposi 
tion  "in." 

go :  a  suffix  conveying  the  idea  of  present  and  progressive  action  or 
condition. 

gos-tcis-de':  on  this  side  (thereof) ;  nearer  than  the  place  last  men 
tioned. 

kat :   now. 

ke-tan'-yal-ti'-go  or  ke-taivf-yal-ti':  lit.  talking  kethawn,  talking  sac 
rificial-stick  ;  a  sacrificial  and  probably  mnemonic  symbol 
supposed  to  be  borne  by  many  of  the  gods,  and  carried  by  the 
medicine-men.  See  fig.  2.  See  also  p.  452,  Fifth  Annual  Re 
port  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  in  press. 

kos:   cloud,  clouds. 

la"-a-di-be  :   the  first  in  order,  made  of. 
la-kai'  or  la-kai'-go :   white. 

La-kai'-Din-la-de :  at  the  White  Ridges,  a  locality  in  the  Navajo 
country. 


24  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  I. 

La-pa'-Dez-a':  something  brown  sticking  up;  Brown  Point,  Brown 
Pinnacle,  a  natural  object  somewhere  in  the  Navajo  country, 
a  proper  name. 

Lic-tso':   Great  Serpent;  lie,  serpent;  tso,  great. 

li-tci'  or  li-tci'-go :   red. 

li-tso',  li-tso'-go,  or  li-tso'-i :   yellow. 

mai :   coyote,  prairie  wolf. 

Na-ge'-nez-ga-ni :   Slayer  of  the  Alien  Gods,  the  first  in  importance 

of  the  Navajo  war-gods.     Anglicized  Nagaynezgani. 
na'-ki-di-be :   the  second  in  order,  made  of. 
na-nes-ta'-go :  he  sits  down, 
na-nic-ta'-go :   I  sit  down, 
na-ta':   Indian  corn. 

Nil-tci-Dil-ko'-hi :   Smooth  Wind,  one  of  the  Navajo  wind-gods, 
ni'-ye-na-tsa'-go  :   he  goes  out  returning, 
ni'-ye-nis-tsa'-go  :   I  go  out  returning. 

pec-dol-gas':  the  great  stone  knife  which  the  war-god  is  supposed 
to  carry,  and  which  is  actually  carried  by  the  man  who  repre 
sents  him  in  the  rites. 

Qa-dji-nai':  Place  where  they  came  out,  Place  of  Emergence.  A 
locality  in  the  San  Juan  Mountains. 

qal-ni'-gi:   in  the  middle,  on  the  ground;  from  qo  and  al-ni-gi. 

qa-nas-tsa'-go :   he  goes  up  or  climbs,  returning. 

qa-sis-tsa'-go :   I  go  up  returning. 

Qas-tce'-qo-gan :  a  peaceful  Navajo  god.    Anglicized  Haschayhogan. 

Qas-tce'-yal-ti :  a  peaceful  and  beneficent  god  of  the  Navajo  my 
thology.  In  other  papers  I  spell  this  name — less  correctly,  as 
I  now  believe — Qastceelti.  Anglicized  Haschayalthi.  See 

%•  3- 
qo :  a  prefix  denoting  that  the  surface  of  the  earth  is  referred  to ; 

terrestrial ;  hence  often  locative, 
qo-gan':   a  house,  a  Navajo  lodge  or  hut. 
qo-gan'-ya:  within  the  house  ;  lit.  under  the  house,  hence  qo-gan'-ya- 

qo-tci'.     See  qo-tci. 
qol-ge'-de:   at  the  place  so  named. 
qo-nic-qa"-de :  at  the  place  around  the  fire,  in  the  centre  of  the 

lodge,  a  religious  or  poetic  form  of  qo-na-pa' . 


Apr.  1888.]         THE   PRAYER    OF    A    NAVAJO    SHAMAN.  25 

qo-tci':   terrestrially  red,  red  on  the  ground.     See  li-tci. 
qo-tyel':   terrestrially  broad,  broad  on  the  ground. 

si-la'-gi :  where  it  lies,  where  they  lie.  Properly  a  dual  form,  but 
used  here  also  apparently  as  a  singular  form. 

ta-din-la'-gi :   in  the  doorway — /.  e.,  on  guard. 

tce'-ti :  the  passage-way  or  entry  to  a  Navajo  hut;  hence  tce'-ti-gi ; 
in  the  entry. 

till'-di-be :   the  fourth  in  order,  made  of. 

To-ba-djis-tci'-ni :  Kinsman  (Cousin)  of  the  Waters.  The  second 
in  importance  of  the  Navajo  war-gods.  Anglicized  Thobajis- 
cheni. 

to-bi-ke'-qa-dil-gal'-da:  find  not  his  trail — /.  e. ,  seek  not  to  find 
him. 

to'-da  or  do'-ta :  no,  not.  This  negative  is  commonly  divided  so 
as  to  embrace  the  qualified  term  as  in  a  parenthesis,  as,  for  in 
stance,  in  the  word  immediately  preceding. 

to-lij  or  to-lij'-go  :   blue. 

To-li-tci'  Al-na'-os-glin-de:  Red  Rivers  Crossing  One  Another  :  to, 
water;  litci,  red;  alnaosglin,  they  cross  one  another.  See  de. 
An  imaginary  locality  in  one  of  the  lower  worlds. 

to-qa-di'-dsi-da:   make  no  sound — i.e.,  say  nothing. 

tqa-di-ti11'  or  ta-di-tin':   the  pollen,  especially  the  pollen  of  corn. 

tqa'-gi-di-be:   the  third  in  order,  made  of. 

tsan-dil-dje'-he  :  a  large  hawk  of  undetermined  species.  This  word 
may  be  a  variant  of  tsin-ya-il-dje'-he  (lit.  he  hunts  under  the 
trees),  which  is  the  name  of  Cooper's  hawk,  Accipiter  cooperi. 

tse-na-tsa'-go :   he  goes  through  returning. 

tse-nis-tsa'-go :   I  go  through  returning. 

tse'-tla  or  in-tse'-tla:  a  part  of  the  hut  beyond  the  fireplace  as  you 
enter;  the  back  of  the  lodge.  Hence  tse'-tla-dje,  toward  the 
back  of  the  lodge,  and  tse'-tla-gi,  in  the  back  of  the  lodge. 

Tsin'-ya-Do-yol':  Under-a-tree-Blowing ;  the  proper  name  of  a  lo 
cality. 

Tsis-na'-dji-ni:  Jemez  Mountain  in  Northern  New  Mexico,  a  sacred 
mountain  of  the  Navajos,  considered  as  bounding  their  country 
on  the  east. 

ya-ha-nas-tsa'-go :   I  go  in  returning, 
ya-ha-na-tsa'-go  :   he  goes  in  returning. 
4 


26 


THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST. 


[Vol.  I. 


ya-yol-kal'-be  :   made  of  daylight. 

ye:   with;  by  means  of ;  usually  pronounced  as  if  incorporated. 

ye'-ca-da-a-nai-ye-gla'-go :   with,  for  me,  nevertheless,  he  opens  it, 

or  clears  the  way. 

ye'-ci-ka-ni-ya'-go:   with  (him)  for  my  sake,  he  arrives, 
ye'-i-tci-na-cis-yiz'-go :  with  (the  talking  kethawn)  he  turns  me  round 

so  as  to  face  him. 
yi-ki'-gi:   upon  it. 

yi'-ki-na-is-tsa'-go :   I  go  upon  it  returning, 
yi'-ki-na-i-tsa'-go  :   he  goes  upon  it  returning, 
yi-la'  or  yi-la'-go:   he  places  it. 


II 


FIG.  2.  The  talking  KethaAvn. 


FIG.  3.   Qastceyalti 


-._.._ /* 


